Happy Holidays to everyone! If you're at all like me, all of the hustle and bustle leading into the holidays makes it difficult to get any riding time in, with all of the family and friend stuff that goes on. With that said, have an excellent Christmas (we missed Hannukah) and lets get some riding in before New Years!



Seriously though, at least one skatepark session between 26th and 30th. Check it in the forums

-Mark

This post might seem a little strange coming from me, for people who ride with me a lot, anyways. It used to require a death-defying feat for me to strap on a helmet before getting onto my bike, or, fortunately, that it be required at the place where I'd be riding. I, as should everyone else who doesn't wear one, am trying to get out of a bad habit.



This has been on my mind for a long time - probably since the first time a helmet saved my life. That happened racing downhill at Plattekill, where head met tree in mid-air, and said head was flown to Albany Medical. The second time, this past August at the Incline Club, only reinforced what I'd already known about helmets saving lives.

I'm finally posting this because a close friend of mine had a freak accident Monday night, and I've been trying to digest the news as I hear it. This has nothing to do with bikes, in fact, it was snow tubing. We figured it was safe enough; hell, 8 year-olds go sledding. To simplify the story, he knocked his head on a fence post. After regaining consciousness, we got to the car, and then to the hospital. I rested easy enough that night, thinking he'd had a concussion and a nasty headache. Heads are delicate. Turns out, he cracked his skull and there was minimal bleeding in his brain. He told me today that he is unsure whether he'll get the hearing in his right ear back, and that he can't maintain balance well and needs physical therapy to help that out.

I'm not saying that helmets should be worn sleigh riding, but I am pointing out how delicate the head is. Take, for instance, Jimmy Levan. He's a wild bmx rider, but slammed his head riding a skateboard and suffered some incredibly horriffic head injuries. When we ride bikes, we're taking that ever-present risk of head injury and amplifying it who-knows-how-many times. I think everyone who rides owes it to themselves to strap on a brain bucket when they expect to be riding something a beach cruiser couldn't roll.

If you're thinking something along the lines of "I've hit my head without a helmet a bunch of times and I'm fine," then let me say this: It only takes one, and when that one comes, that's it. I don't think I could count the times I've smacked my head on the ground without a dome-piece on both hands, and the times I've seen it happen to others would take many more hands. But, it only takes that one whack, in the right spot, to leave you a writhing mass of comatose on the street.

This brings another peeve of mine out. Riders who knock other riders for wearing a helmet. Anyone who has ridden for long enough to call themselves a rider and have me respect their title, would never do that. If you don't wear one, that's your call, but more power to those that do. As far as I can tell, the people who rip on helmets are too new to riding to have had an experience that hits close to home, and ought to shut it.

Helmets have become "cool" in the skiing and snowboarding worlds so much so that today most people wear them in the park and just riding the mountain. This trend ought to maintain momentum into the riding world, as we're doing our thing on the street, wood, and rocks. All of which are harder than snow and ice.

That said, think about the bigger picture, and keep riding hard as ever. I know I will. If you catch me rolling without my helmet, feel free to remind me about this post. I'll probably mutter something stupid, and then go put it on.

-Mark

Alec took some shots at Super Session also. Apologies for the late addition, but they got stuck in traffic on the [information] highway. Well, here they are, or check the full write-up and click them over there.


Billy Lewis - Tuck No-Hander / Photo - Alec

-Mark

Hooray, it's all done! Click the pic, bruh



-Mark

Black Market just dropped the new team roster for 2008, and the team looks stacked. There are a couple of new names in the list, as well as an official listing of the RIOT squad. Check the press release below.

"Black Market (Blk Mrkt), is proud to announce the addition of Steven Bafus and Thomas Hancock to the team for 2008. The 2008 Blk Mrkt made members are:

MTBMX - Carter Holland, Adam Hauck, Phil Sundbaum, Thomas Hancock and Steven Bafus

Race – Carter Holland, Jeremiah Work, Lisa Myklak and Drew Powers

Blk Mrkt will also continue its’ grassroots program for up and coming shredders. Known only as the RIOT Squad, these members of the Blk Mrkt family are local riders who have attracted our attention and support. We are working on having a wrap sheet for each rider in what will be our list of “Usual Suspects.”

RIOT Squad – Walker Wilkerson, Andrew Bigelow and Brian Miller

Blk Mrkt will also be co-sponsoring the Chain Reaction Cycles World Cup Team for 2008; stay tuned for the team roster."


I met Bigelow at the Super Sessions and he is a really cool dude. He was hurting the whole time and didn't ride too much, but when he did, he threw down. I'm sure I only caught a sample of the pickings from his bag of tricks, so I'm stoked to see what he'll come out with this season.

-Mark D.

Click

We flew into Los Angeles and spent a few days hanging with Mike Flaherty, the staff and founder of Atom Lab, for a few days before making the trip to Woodward West. Mike was bsuy coordinating all of the final details for the Session, and so we did our best to help him out and stay out of his hair when need be. Before I go on, I need to say that Mike is probably the best person in the bike world that I've ever met. He managed to pull the Super Sessions off almost singlehandedly, keeps Atom Lab running, all while holding down a family. He's also as pumped to ride bikes as he was 25 years ago, regardless of whether it's mountain bike, bmx, or something in between.

Woodward popped out of the desert like a little oasis, for me at least, since I've never been. Compared to Woodward in PA, it was surprisingly small, with about 4 parks, the trails, and a huge halfpipe. However, if the grounds are smaller, the parks are way better. After setting up camp with Mike at Woodward, we rolled through the place to check it out. Enterprise was the first park we saw, and consequently, the first park we rode. The park has angles and ramps everywhere you look, unique features, and more lines than the movie Blow. Oddly enough, the thing I saw sessioned most in this park of huge transitions and gaps, was the ramp to jersey barrier. Adam Hauck alley-oop tailwhipped the gap in the middle and a 20" rider from Mutiny was throwing barspins and flairs out of it. You can check the video still for confirmation. It was rad. Justin Guignard from Ontario was stomping tailwhips on one of the hips, while Billy Lewis was popping tuck no-handers out of a quarter.

It's a good time to mention that this was my first time meeting a whole ton of people from the upper eschelons of the riding world, some of whom I've heard of and most of whom I haven't. Granted, I don't follow the huge multi-national events like I think many people do, but I was surprised to see how many riders there that kill it and I'd never heard of. It was great to talk to riders from all over the states, as well as north of the border. I hear there are around 23 skateparks in the Portland area, mostly downhill riding in Utah, and less than nothing to ride in Nova Scotia. I've heard from other people who saw the previous sessions go down that this year's was somewhat tame in comparison. Maybe it was, but the vibes throughout the session were just as good. The relaxation and fun is what keeps a sport like this going...as far as a common rider goes, at least.


Click

I spent a lot of my time at the dirt jumps. Riding trails is how I like to ride my bike, and until last week, it had been a couple of years since I'd gotten to ride any dialed jump line. It didn't take me long to get used to the lips, but the west coast dirt jumpers out there had the place on lockdown. Joe Perrizo was throwing backflips on the first style jump that were as smooth as could be. Adam Hauck threw a couple of 3's over a hip in the mid-sized line. Cam McCaul landed a barspin off the wooden dinosaur launch. There was a bunch more going on there, but you'll catch it in the photos and video we put up. The second morning brought a blanket of fog to the trails, which gave it a strangely unsettling feeling. I was more occupied by the sewage treatment plant right next door, and how the fog had most certainly risen from the churning pool of poo and pee. I'm still alive, and don't have cholera, so it's fine I guess.


Click

Peanut, son of Hacksaw, started the weekend on his mountain bike, but came up just a few inches short on a landing in the big line, and dissected his RST Space fork. After the fork crown splintered and his front wheel bounced away, he slammed his head into the eginning of the next lip. We was out of it for a while, but proceeded to rip on this 20" the next day. The Meyer brothers had a tough time last weekend as well. Nick took 2 serious beatings and had to hail a heli-ride to the hospital for surgery on his insides. Everything sounded like it went as expected with the surgery, but best of luck to him and a quick healing. Ryan caught bars with anothe rider and went down hard as well. There was a slew of other crashes and spills, but those stood out. Peanut is a tough kid, and wait a while on those RST forks. Another crown failure had happened earlier in the week on another bike.

The night sessions were all in the Hanger, the indoor park at Woodward West. There were a number of good looking lines in there, along with the foam pit and resi-ramp. Not to slam it, but the pits and roll-in at East put this pit to shame. They did their jobs, however, and I saw some crazy backflip 360/flatspin bangers onto the resi from a rider whose name I can't remember. (I'll get on that when I can) Justin Guignard from Ontario landed a bunch of 720's, as did one or two other riders. The Hanger offereed a nice amount of creative lines, though I'd say it's still second to Enterprise. They actually had a satellite dish above one of the quarters, which Adam rode into and around.

Before leaving the camp, Smokey, a mellow rider from Nova Scotia wanted a little time to ride the gigantic halfpipe. I missed most of that, but I did catch a couple of airs 6 to 8 feet out of the pipe. He tells me he can get closer to 12, but I haven't seen it...yet.

Like I promised earlier, more content is coming. Good things like this always coincide with crappy things like final exams. And oh yea, Christmas lights in the desert is a mind-trip, just like Californian girls in mink jackets for a 65 degree evening.

And keep in mind that these are screen shots out of Windows Movie Maker, not actual photos. Nick's are coming and they look sweet...

PZ People,
-Mark D.

Logan Peat has won the 2007 "Be a Dirtbag" contest and will be on the Drop-In tour for next season. With that, everyone in the industry will get to call him a dirtbag until next season, which I'm sure he's pumped about. Anyway, check out his two video submissions that gave him the win, by clicking the links below:

http://www.rip.tv/video/watch/2852
http://www.rip.tv/video/watch/4151



Rip.Tv has a small interview posted with him about his win and how he came to be such a talented rider. I'll post it below, but know that it comes from Rip. Everyone wanted a street rider on there, at least the people in the forums did, and looks like we got one. Stuff a rag in Tremblay's mouth and scissor his hair, and Drop-In is gonna be sick next year. Sorry, that was mean, but I can't help certain things, I'm sure he's cool as hell, but talking isn't why I watch these videos. Don't tell me about a run, show it to me. My rant is done, check the vids, ride your bike...:)

1. Tell us a bit about how you got here in the first place. When did you start riding?
Drop In was what got me started riding. After Drop In's first season, I was really hooked. As mountain biking got more popular, I started entering competitions in 2006, and that led me to where I am today.
2. After hanging out with the Drop In crew at Whistler, what are you looking forward to most on the road?
I am looking forward to traveling to ride new locations and really looking forward to riding with the crew.
3. If you had to, would you drop out of school to go on tour?
No, I have already moved to Alberta for school. It is only a two year program and I am already half way done.
4. Any plans to slay dragons on the trip?
No. I have a girlfriend.
5. Where do you hope the bus takes you?
Wherever the bus goes will be awesome, they have never gone wrong in the past. I would love to try new locations that have not been featured on videos before.
6. Is being on a tv show gonna get you mad chicks?
I don't know, I have never been on TV before.
7. Who was/is you biggest influence in the riding world? Do you think your riding style is reflective of him?
So many riders inspire me, but riders that are pushing the limit and bringing something new to the sport, gain all my respect. Also, I am influenced by the bmx scene, I feel my riding does reflect that.
8. What does your family make of all this biking business?
My family loves the industry just as much as I do. They have come to all my competitions and supported me from day one.
9. Are you going to pitch in on cleaning the bus, or will you request a maid?
Of course I am on board to help clean the bus, but a maid sounds great.

Hey! Hello! Can you hear me? I know we're far from home, but this place is just as good, maybe better. California, that is. Nick, Alec, and I got in today and are holed up at AtomLab head honcho Mike Flaherty's house for the next few days before the SuperSession gets started.


We were seated in the left wing, in front of a screaming baby and singing child.

The Supersession sounds like this year's festivities are going to make last year's event look like a 4th grade playdate. Somewhere around 60 riders are slated to attend, with more being added every day. Woodward West has a slopestyle course that we'll hopefully get to see put to use, along with the dirt jumps and parks, both of which kick ass, I'm told.

For us, tomorrow we're checking out Marzocchi headquarters, which ought to be cool. To be honest, I have no idea what to expect, and so, I'd say I'm excited. We'll snap some shots and bring them to you, right here, of course.

Some warm-up riding went down today, at a concrete park near AtomLab headquarters, and more will follow tomorrow. With some luck, the cameras will get a shot to let you know how much fun we're having.

Until tomorrow,
-Mark D.

I can't believe how long it's been since I've found something that is worth posting, at least during the times I'm able to post, anyway. Thanksgiving has brought the crew back together if only for a few days, to get some riding in and catch up on things. Yesterday we sessioned Highbridge in NYC for the first time, and I was impressed. Yonni and a few locals were there shredding the trails as well. Despite the cold, we got a few hours in and then pedaled the bridge as the sun dropped behind the city. Here's a shot of Nick turning the line into a hip and throwing a table. This one was shot by Yonni; Look for some more shots coming into the photo gallery from Yonni and Bill Schimpf, as both were there and clicking the shutter a good deal.


Click to go big

Hopefully, some more interesting things will get going as the semester winds down in the next few weeks. AtomLab SuperSession is next weekend, and you know we'll be covering it and posting it all up on here for everyone.

On the AtomLab note, their 2008 website dropped a few weeks back, and it looks sick. The product lineup has also seen some changes and has a few new official colorways. Props to Nick for landing more than a few photos on the new website.

Until next time,
-Mark

Nick sent this my way, and I think it's way cool. It's from Pinkbike, and has some pretty sweet street riding in it. Don't get thrown off like I did by the beginning crashes, they start landing stuff a few minutes in. I like seeing street riders on mtb, though it does hurt to think that everything is basically bmx about it - style, tricks, everything. It is what it is, and if you like doing it then you win, right? It's late and I'd love to develop that thought more, but I've got some dramming to do and I'll save that for a rainy day.

Another video link not working on here, weird. Please click to go..

So everyone knows, NJ Dirt is coming back into swing, sorry for the lull. The more input we get from you, the better it will be!!!

PZZ
-Mark